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National Alliance on Mental Illness
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National Depression Survey Highlights

  • People with depression need more information about the illness
  • Only 53 percent of respondents say they are well informed about depression and the prescription medications that are available to treat the condition.
  • Only 22 percent of those surveyed have ever been told that it is possible to achieve a state of having little or no symptoms of depression.
    • Less than 25 percent of survey respondents are aware of the difference between a partial and full response to medication.
  • There is a need for enhanced patient/physician communication
  • Approximately 70 percent of respondents report that they initiated the conversation with their health care provider about the symptoms of depression they were experiencing.
  • Approximately 40 percent of respondents stopped taking their medication at some point without the advice of their health care professional because they personally believed they were no longer experiencing symptoms of depression.
  • While the majority of respondents report that they have experienced six or more episodes of depression in their lifetime, only 34 percent of people with depression have ever discussed their risk of relapse with their physician.
  • Access to a variety of treatment options is critical for people with depression

Because people respond differently to medication, it is important that people with depression have access to a variety of effective treatment options.

  • Only 25 percent of survey respondents receive talk therapy or counseling.
  • The majority have tried, on average, at least four medications during their treatment.

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